May 6, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts after getting called for a foul against the Philadelphia 76ers during game five of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Here the Knicks are, back in what is becoming familiar territory, once as foreign as the EuroLeague.
New York entered Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night, four wins away from a first NBA Finals berth in 27 years, as a rolling juggernaut.
They wrecked the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round — the same Sixers who upset what had been one of the favorites to win it all this season, the Boston Celtics, in the conference quarterfinals. The week-plus layoff from the quick series sweep allowed OG Anunoby to heal up from a hamstring injury that forced him out of Games 3 and 4, giving the Knicks a full-strength lineup that should, in theory, keep rolling against a Cavaliers team that, on paper, is a better matchup than a physical Detroit Pistons team that swept New York during the regular season in blowout fashion.
Jalen Brunson continues to raise his ceiling as a bona fide superstar, Mitchell Robinson should bully Cleveland down low, and the combination of Anunoby and Mikal Bridges will be tasked with slowing down the Cavs’ high-flying duo of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden.
But for expectations to be met, Karl-Anthony Towns needs to keep being the key to the Knicks’ machine.
The big man is serving as a point guard — a system that head coach Mike Brown helped implement after losing Games 2 and 3 of the first round to the Atlanta Hawks. Towns went from Brunson’s sidekick to a facilitator. He posted 10 assists in a Game 4 triple-double, six more in a Game 5 in which he also dropped 16 points with 14 rebounds, then another triple-double of 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 helpers.
He then averaged 7.5 assists with his 15.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in the conference semifinals against Philadelphia.
It’s that level of playmaking that needs to be clicking to ensure the Knicks’ offense keeps rolling, especially for Brunson. New York’s captain had significant issues during the regular season against Cavs guard Dean Wade, being held to just 1-of-16 from the field and 0-of-6 from three-point range when guarded by him.
Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson will likely try to recreate those levels of frustration, but the Knicks have had plenty of time to gameplan for this matchup — and a part of that will be relying on Towns to continue this absorption of the offensive load. The other part will be exposing Cleveland’s weaknesses: They have the second-highest turnover rate among all playoff teams and the third-lowest defensive rebound rate.
Both of those shortcomings play right into Towns’ hand, as the combination of him and Mitchell Robinson should dominate Cleveland’s big men, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
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